There are a variety of storing and dispensing containers in the market, particularly those for storing and dispensing wipe type products. Wipe type products or wipes have been made from a variety of materials which can be dry or wet when used. Wet wipes can be moistened with a variety of suitable wiping solutions. Typically, wet wipes have been stacked in a container in either a folded or unfolded configuration. For example, containers of wet wipes have been available wherein each of the wet wipes stacked in the container has been arranged in a folded configuration such as a c-folded, z-folded or quarter-folded configuration as are well known to those skilled in the art. Sometimes each folded wet wipe is interfolded with the wet wipes immediately above and below it in the stack of wipes. In an alternative configuration, the wet wipes have been placed in a container in the form of a continuous web of material that includes perforations adapted to allow for separation of individual wet wipes from the web upon the application of a pulling force. Such wet wipes have been used for baby wipes, hand wipes, personal care wipes, household cleaning wipes, industrial wipes and the like.
Conventional packages of wipes have typically been designed to be positioned on a flat surface such as a countertop, table or the like. Such conventional packages have often included a plastic container, tub or package which provides a sealed environment for the wet wipes to ensure that they do not become dirty or overly dry. Some of the conventional packages have also been configured to provide “one-at-a-time” dispensing of each wet wipe which can be accomplished using a single hand after the package has been opened. Such single-handed, one-at-a-time dispensing is particularly desirable because the other hand of the user or care giver is typically required to be simultaneously used for other functions. For example, when changing a diaper product on an infant, the care giver typically uses one hand to hold and maintain the infant in a desired position while the other hand is used to dispense a baby wipe to clean the infant.
“Pop-up” configurations of wet wipe dispensers can advantageously help provide the aforementioned single-handed, “one-at-a-time” dispensing. In “pop-up” configurations, when a wipe is removed from the dispenser, the wipe pulls along the leading end of the succeeding wipe in the package, by virtue of the succeeding wipe being in operative contact with the leading wipe such as via interfolding, via adhesive bonding, or via an integral connection along a line of weakness. Preferably, as the leading wipe is pulled out of and away from the package, the trailing end of the leading wipe breaks free from the leading end of the succeeding wipe, and the leading end of the succeeding wipe is left protruding from the package. In this way, the leading end of the succeeding wipe is immediately and automatically positioned for grasping and subsequent withdrawal from the package, and what was previously the succeeding wipe now becomes the leading wipe.
Historically, two malfunctions can occur during the operation just described. In one scenario, as the leading wipe is withdrawn, the leading wipe may not properly release from the succeeding wipe, with the result that the succeeding wipe is pulled too far or even entirely out of the package. A situation in which one or more succeeding wipes are in a single pull operation withdrawn from the package by virtue of being in operative contact with the leading wipe is referred to herein as “multiples.” Multiples can result from excessively strong connections between successive wipes (e.g., too much adhesive or insufficient web perforations), or can result from a dispensing orifice that does not sufficiently hold in place the succeeding wipe to allow the leading wipe to break free (e.g., too large of a dispensing orifice).
In another scenario, as the leading wipe is withdrawn, the succeeding wipe, after breaking free from the leading wipe, may not be readily accessible for subsequent dispensing. For example, although the leading end of the succeeding wipe may momentarily protrude from the package as it follows the leading wipe during withdrawal of the leading wipe, the leading end of the succeeding wipe often subsequently falls back through the dispensing orifice into the dispensing container—herein referred to as a “fallback.” Fallbacks can result from insufficiently strong connections between successive wipes (i.e., not enough adhesive or an excessively weak line of weakness), or can result from a dispensing orifice that does not sufficiently hold the leading edge of the succeeding wipe in an outwardly protruding manner (i.e., too large of a dispensing orifice).
The aforementioned malfunctions can to some extent be remedied by employing a relatively small dispensing orifice, such as, for example, a circle approximately one centimeter in diameter. However, relatively small dispensing orifices present a problem. In the event that a fallback does occur, a user must have the ability to access the remaining wipes inside the package. It has been discovered that it is difficult for the human hand, or even a human finger, to fit through many conventional, relatively small dispensing orifices to grasp the top wipe within the package following a fallback.
As a result, what is lacking in the art is a dispensing orifice that is shaped and sized small enough to help prevent multiples and fallbacks, but that is shaped and sized large enough to provide for ready access to the first wipe in the package and to remaining wipes in the package following fallbacks.
Furthermore, many prior art wipes packages include a flexible pouch to which a rigid closed-loop flange is attached. A rigid flip top is commonly hingedly attached to the flange. Within the closed-loop flange, the flexible pouch commonly includes a removable portion. The removable portion can be peeled away to define a dispensing orifice. Commonly, the closed-loop flange and rigid flip top define within their perimeter an area in the range of approximately 40 to 70 square centimeters. Such dimensions are desirable both ergonomically and aesthetically. In certain prior art embodiments, the removable portion within the flange abuts the flange around the entire perimeter of the removable portion (see FIG. 1A). In other prior art embodiments, the removable portion does not abut the flange around any of the perimeter of the removable portion (see FIG. 1B). In such embodiments, the removable portion is positioned in the center of the inner area defined by the closed-loop flange, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.
One problem with positioning a relatively small removable portion in the center of the inner area defined by a closed-loop flange is that as the removable portion is removed, the flexible pouch can tear in an undesirable manner. Furthermore, it can be difficult to provide clear, understandable instructions for removing the removable portion entirely within the area surrounded by the closed-loop flange if the removable portion is positioned squarely in the center of such area.
As a result, what is further lacking in the art is an approach to provide a flexible pouch with a removable portion that when removed does not tear the pouch in an undesirable manner, and which provides clear, understandable instructions coordinated with the structure of the removable portion and the flange.